The present invention is directed to an electrical operating device for bicycles and, more particularly, to an electrical operating device for bicycles in which the braking lever is endowed with a rotational motion in a direction different from that of braking, and electric commands generated by this rotation control shifting, switch the indications on the speedometer, and the like.
The handlebar of a bicycle is equipped with shifting devices in addition to the braking levers for braking the bicycle. The applicant has already proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2-225191 a bicycle operating device in which such shifting devices are integrated with the braking lever body to allow braking and shifting to be accomplished by the same operating lever. In such a bicycle operating device, one end of the brake cable is connected to a rocking body. A rotary body to which one end of a derailleur wire is connected is supported on this rocking body, and the rotary body is provided with an operating lever. Operating the operating lever turns the rocking body and pulls the brake wire to achieve braking action. On the other hand, during shifting the operating lever is rotated around the axis of rotation orthogonal to the rocking axis, the rotary body is rotatably driven, and the derailleur wire is pulled to achieve a shifting action. Consequently, the turning of the rocking body by the operating lever contributes to braking, and, similarly, the rotation of the rotary body by the operating lever contributes to shifting.
In the combined brake and shifting device described above, the rotary body must be acted upon with the strong torque necessary to pull the derailleur wire, which is subjected to considerable tension. However, shifting devices which are constructed to provide increased levels of convenience and to possess multistep shifting capabilities as bicycles become more sporty should exert minimal tension on derailleur wires. Unfortunately, it is difficult to lower the tension in a derailleur wire below a certain level with a mechanical shifting mechanism, and certain limitations exist. To overcome such limitations, automated shifting control devices have been developed as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,177 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 8-113181. Such automatic shifting devices commonly comprise braking devices and shifting devices placed at a distance from each other, so quick operation is not possible.
Meanwhile, manual shifters are provided with displays for displaying the gear positions as shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 63-90490. Unfortunately, operability is inadequate because such displays are positioned at a distance from the braking devices.
Numerous proposals have also been made in recent years for mounting miniature computers and liquid-crystal displays on bicycles in order to display bicycle speed, distance traveled, time, rider's pulse, and the like as shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 62-11871. All these types of information cannot be displayed simultaneously, so the required information is displayed by the switching of the display mode with a display mode switch. This display mode switch ordinarily is mounted on the computer, thus requiring the rider to remove his or her hands from the shifting or braking device to change display modes. According to an arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,892, a push-button switch for switching the display mode is installed on the bracket of the braking lever. However, because this button switch is located at a distance from the braking lever, the rider must operate the button by moving his or her hand from the operating position of the brake.